1. Field of the Present Invention
The present invention relates to the encoding and decoding of multiple video sources and, in particular, the use of such encoding and decoding in the recording and recovery of video information in television surveillance systems.
2. Background Prior Art
In closed circuit television systems (CCTV) used for surveillance or scene monitoring purposes, it is known to employ a number of television cameras which are directed at different scenes. These scenes may be recorded by individual video recorders for each camera input and the recorded scenes are then available for review from each of the various recorders.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to eliminate the need to provide multiple recorders for the recording of multiple video camera information.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a system for recording information by multiplex from a large number of camera inputs on a single video tape.
It is a further object of the present invention to electronically encode information relative to each specific camera source on the video signal "back porch" and to use such encoded information for the recovery and playback of selected camera source video information.
It is yet another object of the present invention to improve the encoding of video information from multiple sources on a single video tape and to also improve the decoding and playback of selected video information so as to increase the number of sources such system can handle, to allow various control capabilities in the selection of playback information and to generally reduce the production cost of such system.